India has been reporting over 300,000 COVID-19 cases daily, the country at present is second worst hit globally. The situation in India is so bad that crematoriums are falling short of space.This catastrophe has even stopped people from giving their family and friends a dignified last rites.
The situation has turned so devastating that the COVID bodies are being dumped in the river. Many bodies were found at the river banks of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Amidst this terrible surge, many volunteers have come forward to help the families who are struggling to keep up with the essentials.
Similarly, a team of volunteers in Delhi have taken the responsibility of performing the last rites of people who died due to COVID. Devendra and Pritam are leading a team in Delhi, they collect bodies and make arrangements for the funeral for those who are unable to perform the final rites because they are COVID positive and can’t leave their homes.
"We cremate people who are not in government statistics... who died at home and whose families need our help. Maybe they don't even have family," Pritam told NDTV.
They have performed rites for people from all religions, whether Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christians. They say it’s their duty to help those in need.
“This is seva, Devendra said”
These volunteers came to action when Delhi’s Municipal Corporation, police, even hospitals have been unresponsive due to lack of ambulances. These volunteers along with many others are not only helping with funerals but are also working relentlessly to serve the community as a whole. They have come forward to distribute food, donate plasma, arrange oxygen cylinders, oxygen concentrators and are also collating and updating COVID-19 resources in real time, for those in need.
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